And Then There Were Three
by the weeping willow
Summary: *Complete* The Halliwells thought it was just another day... until they meet the Warrens: the REAL Charmed Ones! My first Charmed fic. Please r&r! Expect a sequel... ;)
1. The Prophecy Fullfilled

_Title:_ And Then There Were Three  
_Author:_ the weeping willow  
_Chapter:_ 1—"The Prophecy Fulfilled"  
_Rating:_ PG (possibly to change), for violence and swearing  
_Spoilers:_ Up until end of season 4  
_Setting:_ season 5 AU  
_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Charmed or any of its associates, etc. This is just a fanfiction, please don't sue me. :)  
_Description:_ Piper, Phoebe, and Paige Halliwell get a nasty shock when they discover who the real Charmed Ones are!  
_Distribution:_ Not without asking. I'd prefer you link back to this, please, or get my permission first.  
_Contact:_ queenofthebandgeeks@hotmail.com   
_Author's Notes:_ I thought of this last year when they got rid of Prue and how it was completely going against everything the show had shown us so far. So, I changed it. :) This is an ongoing piece, with at least six chapters to date and more to come. FYI, my term for Paige's screwed mix of telekinesis and orbing I call tele-orbing. *grins*

* * *

**_And Then There Were Three_**

_Chapter One: "The Prophecy Fulfilled"_

  
"Piper!" came Phoebe's call from downstairs, ringing throughout the house. Piper stuck her head out the doorway of her room.

"What!?"

Instead of a response, all Piper heard was a scream. Sighing, she ran to the top of the stairs. She was greeted by a demon hurling itself at her. Shrieking, she put her hands out and froze him. "Thanks," grinned Phoebe at Piper.

Piper ducked underneath the demon's outstretched arm and stomped down the stairs towards Phoebe. "You couldn't have handled this by yourself? You _know_ that I need to get this work done!"

"Paige is at work, and I thought…" Phoebe defended herself. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to step away for two seconds to save your sister's life. But if you're going to do that thing where you yell at me and make me look in the Book of Shadows then I—"

"Phoebe!" Piper interrupted. "I—"

"Watch out!" Phoebe jumped up and hovered there, pulling Piper with her. Piper froze the demon again and glared at Phoebe as they floated back down.

"YOU- Book of Shadows, NOW." As Phoebe clomped upstairs dejectedly Piper picked up the phone to dial up Paige. 

Less than a minute later Paige orbed in, just as the demon unfroze for the second time. "Demon!" she called out, then tele-orbed it as far away as she could manage (the wall). It landed there with a _thunk._ After a moment, it shimmered out.

Before Paige had a chance to say anything, both she and Piper, who was in the kitchen, heard a distant call from the attic: "Got it!"

Upstairs they found Phoebe with the Book of Shadows open to a page with a picture of their attacker. At the top the words "Klepto Demon" were written in large scripted letters. "Klepto? Like it steals? Steals what?" Paige wondered.

Phoebe glanced down at the page. "It says here that it usually works for a higher level demon. Taking things."

"So Kleptos get the grunge work? Seems unfair to me," remarked Paige.

"So who was he working for?" asked Phoebe.

Piper hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. "It took something! We need to find out what it took!"

Without waiting for the other two she ran downstairs. Paige and Phoebe followed closely behind.

Phoebe was the first to spot it. "The clock! … Why the clock?" she asked.

Piper didn't answer. Instead she went and got the scrying crystal and a map of San Francisco and handed them to Paige. "I've got work to do. Once you find it, let me know."

"Hey!" protested Paige. "I have to get back." She dumped the items into Phoebe's arms. "Can't you guys handle it?"

"Okay, both of you!" Phoebe slapped the things down on the coffee table in front of her. "I have had just about enough! Don't you think this is just a little more important than work?"

"Okay, okay, let's get this done already," relented Piper reluctantly.

Paige took the scrying materials and set them up. In less than a minute they located their clock. "It's across town," Paige pointed out.

"So orb us," Piper suggested, taking her sisters' hands into hers. Paige closed her eyes and concentrated, orbing them out a second later.

They ended up in an alleyway in front of an old run-down warehouse. The three sisters entered to see their clock against a wall, along with their chandelier and a few other things of theirs. The Klepto demon, on the other side of the warehouse, spotted them and jumped to attack. Piper tried to freeze him, but it had no effect. "Hey!" she protested. "You're supposed to freeze!"

Paige tried tele-orbing him, to no avail. At the last minute they rolled out of the way. All of a sudden the Klepto demon froze in fear, then started to burn. As the three watched in horror he screamed and exploded into dust.

Something much larger stepped out of the shadows. The thing had red scaly skin and 3 black horns sticking out of its head. It had no mouth, but they could hear it just the same: "I never liked him, anyways."

As Phoebe, Piper, and Paige stared in shock, he 'spoke' again. "What? Are you really that surprised? He lured you here. You even have your trinkets back." He waved a claw and they all disappeared. "I just needed your essence. I was expecting four of you, though. I thought there were 4 Halliwell witches. But," he shrugged, "this is even easier."

Piper was the first to get her voice back. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

"Does it really matter?" the demon smirked.

"No. Not really," came a new voice from behind him.

A sixteen-year old girl with bright blue, black-tipped, shoulder-length hair and gleaming emerald green eyes swung out of the shadows and kicked the demon in the back the neck, knocking him down onto his face. She landed gracefully on the ground, and then proceeded to kick its ass. Once it was thoroughly beat up two others came from the shadows, and the three held hands. A bright white light began to shine from the circle, and the girls directed it at the demon. He exploded in a bright flash.

Satisfied, the three newcomers turned around to face the Halliwell sisters; whose mouths were still hanging open. "W-Who are you?" stuttered Phoebe.

The blue-haired girl shrugged. "We're the Charmed Ones!"


	2. And So They Meet

_Title:_ And Then There Were Three  
_Author:_ the weeping willow  
_Chapter:_ 2— "And So They Meet"  
_Rating:_ PG (possibly to change) for swearing, violence, etc.  
_Spoilers:_ Up until end of season 4  
_Setting:_ Season 5 AU  
_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Charmed or any of its associates, etc. This is just a fanfic, please don't sue me. :)  
_Description:_ The Warrens and the Halliwells learn more about each other's pasts and presents in order to decide for sure what to do about their situation.  
_Distribution:_ Not without asking, please. Get permission first, or put a link to this page.  
_Contact:_ queenofthebandgeeks@hotmail.com  
_Author's Notes:_ I just realized, one note: Piper's not pregnant in this story. ;) I have selective memory, I suppose. I thank you for all the reviews; I love getting feedback (positive or negative). :) And, so far everybody's been really supportive! I think the only thing left before I go on to the story is the note again about how Paige's crazed mix of orbing and telekinesis is "tele-orbing", kay? :) All right! Enjoy!

* * *

**_And Then There Were Three_**

_Chapter Two: "And So They Meet"_

  
"What?!" the Halliwells cried in unison.

"You haven't heard of us?" the oldest-looking one, a blonde, inquired thoughtfully.

"All right. Just one minute," Piper muttered as she tried to freeze them. Nothing happened. She tried again, without success. "What—" she exclaimed. "Why isn't it working?"

"Oh, cute!" the blue-haired one remarked. "Your power is to freeze time!" She grinned, and stepped forward. "I'm Alex Warren, the youngest of us three. My oldest sister Maple is that blonde one over there, and Felicity's that redhead who hasn't talked yet. She's rather shy." As she spoke, Alex pointed to a girl, about eighteen or so, standing in the shadows timidly, away from the light. Her flaming red hair hung over her shoulders in waves, reaching down to her waist.

"And who are you? Fighting demons is dangerous, you know," Maple commented.

Piper seethed inside. "Piper, Phoebe, and Paige Halliwell," she muttered, pointing to each of them in turn.

"Awww, matching names!" Alex clapped with glee.

"All right, this isn't funny," Phoebe said angrily. "Are you guys demons or something? Because you're like 13—"

"16," Alex broke in.

"—and who set you up to this, anyways? We're the Charmed Ones! I read the invocation myself!"

"Yeah, what she said." Paige thought for a moment. "Are you guys demons?"

Alex began giggling, in spite of herself. "Okay, 40-year old women playing pretend. Creepy, don't you think? I don't know why you guys are pretending to be us, or how you even thought of it in the first place, but honestly. It's getting old. Give it up!"

"Alex…" Felicity murmured softly in a sweet English accent. It was enough to stop Alex mid-rant. "It's obvious that both parties here believe they are the Chosen Ones, and I can assure you that nobody here at the moment is a demon. We should go somewhere and discuss this in a calm, reasonable, and civilized manner."

That's how they all (though almost all reluctantly) ended up in Felicity's house, which was temporarily home to all three of the Warren witches. It was open, cozy, and well lit: extremely different from the Halliwell manor. Felicity made tea (like a true British person) while the other five settled themselves on the various couches and chairs set up in her living room. The Halliwells made a point to seat themselves as far away as possible from Maple and Alex.

As Felicity brought the tray into the room, she said in her lilting British accent, "Now then, let's hear your side of the story, shall we?"

Piper dutifully took over and recalled all that had happened to them, ever since Phoebe had read from the Book of Shadows and invoked their powers on that fateful stormy night five years ago.

When she was finished, Felicity nodded to Maple. "Now, you go ahead." Sighing, Maple fell into the Warrens' tale…

"It's all Alex's fault, really," she started, her voice showing no hint of her childhood in France. "I was 19, two years ago, and I go an email from her. Turns out she was part of my birth family. She said that we had another sister too, who'd been shipped off to England. Alex wanted to meet up after a couple emails and phone calls— and I ended up paying airfare," Maple added as an afterthought, glaring at Alex.

"So we flew to the U.S., and I met Felicity in L.A. Then we had to chase Alex all over the city until we found her— at some sleazy bar making out with a guy, no less!"

"So?" shrugged Alex casually. "He was cute." She winked at the others, who stared at her in shock (even Phoebe and Paige).

"Anyways, once we tore her away from the guy she told her about the coven that'd been training her, ever since she'd run away from Boston. They told her that she and her sisters, us, were the Charmed Ones: the most powerful witches that ever were or would ever be. So we're supposed to be Charmed and all that. Thanks to her." Maple gestured towards Alex.

Felicity nodded thoughtfully. "It sounds to me, Miss Piper Halliwell, Miss Phoebe Halliwell, Miss Paige Halliwell, that you could not possibly be the true Charmed Ones. If you look at the evidence— four sisters instead of three, for example— it seems highly unlikely compared to our case. What prophecy exactly are you basing your opinion on?"

"The Book of Shadows told us about our ancestor, Melinda Warren. She could move objects with her mind, see the future and stop time. Before Melinda was burned at the stake, she vowed that each generation of Warren witches would become stronger and stronger, culminating in the arrival of three sisters. These sisters would be the most powerful witches the world has ever known," Phoebe explained.

"Three. Three witches. I think you were quite mistaken…" murmured Felicity, almost to herself.

Piper was getting fed up of the discussion. "You know what? LEO!" she shouted, startling the others.

Almost immediately a mist of blue sparkling orbs appeared and Leo appeared in the room. He did a double take at the sight of the Warren sisters. "What?" he inquired, confused.

Paige pointed to Alex, Maple, and Felicity. "Are they the Charmed Ones?" she asked simply. Confused, Leo stared at the three Warrens, who stared right back.

"You still have a whitelighter? We ditched ours a long time ago," commented Alex, rather smugly.

"We had one?" Maple questioned her. "I thought it was just a myth!"

Alex grinned. "That's partially why I went to L.A.: to escape the little bugger. The coven helped me write an awesome spell to get rid of her and keep her from sensing us. What was her name again? Norah— no, Natalie. Dumpy little lady, she was."

Felicity gasped in horror. "That was awful! How could you?! What if we'd been hurt, or—" She stopped, too horrified to continue.

"If they didn't have a whitelighter, then that would explain how we didn't know anything about this," Leo suggested.

"I thought the Elders were all-knowing," Paige grumbled.

"Yeah, well they didn't know about you, did they?" Piper snapped right back.

Felicity hastily intervened before the fight began to escalate. "I—It's all right. Mr…" she trailed off, looking at Leo expectantly.

"Wyatt," he supplied.

"Mr. Wyatt, do you know of a way to determine this? A spell, something that would be present in one group but not the other?"

Before he could say a word in response, they all suddenly found themselves standing in a strange room of marble and cloud, with about 30 people, seated at the long stone table stretched out in front of them throughout the entire room, all staring straight at them. The Elders.


	3. Meet The Elders

_Title:_ And Then There Were Three  
_Author:_ the weeping willow  
_Chapter:_ 3- "Meet The Elders"  
_Rating:_ PG (possibly to change) for violence, swearing, etc.  
_Spoilers:_ Up until end of season 4  
_Setting:_ Season 5 AU  
_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Charmed or any of its associates, etc. This is just a fanfic, please don't sue me. :)  
_Description:_ The Halliwells and the Warrens have an unforgettable encounter with the infamous Elders...  
_Distribution_ Not without asking, please. Get permission first, or put a link to this page.  
_Contact:_ queenofthebandgeeks@hotmail.com  
_Author's Notes:_ Yet another chapter! *cheers* I only have five and a half written, though (I threw out the last half of the sixth chapter 'cause I didn't like it ;)). So expect a delay soon. Plus school, yuck!!! Anyways, Paige's power is tele-orbing (like always). And I love all the reviews! And that you guys love my story! :) Reviews stimulate more chapters *nods* Yup. So if you want more, review! And a special thanks for Katriona for coming back to read the second chapter after reading the first. ;) Because I spent so much time between posting chapters, so this is just the first half of what I meant to be one really long chapter. LOL Enjoy!

* * *

**_And Then There Were Three_**

_Chapter Three: "Meet The Elders"_

  
"How did you escape detection for so long?" The haughty question came from the woman at the head of the table. Her face was ageless, her hair a silvery cloud-white, the same color of her robes. She emanted power; her voice indicated she _would_ be answered.

"My Lady," Leo began awkwardly, his head bowed in respect.

The woman cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Silence! Let them speak for themselves."

Alex boldy replied to the woman's original question. "I got rid of our whitelighter with a hiding spell. She was annoying." Felicity involuntarily blushed for her sister's impudence.

"So you cast a spell to diliberately keep you three out of detection, putting you and your sisters in grave danger?" the woman asked, her ever-intimidating presence becoming stronger. All but Alex shied away unconsiously. "Clever. And extremely powerful," the woman added with just the slightest hint of a smile on her face. Even Alex relaxed visibly at her words. "Now then, you three," the woman said, indicating the Halliwell sisters, "thought you were the Charmed Ones, no?"

"That's what we were told!" Phoebe protested.

In response, the woman closed her eyes. A smoky haze formed in the center of the table, then cleared to show a translucent image of Prue, Piper, and Phoebe as children. "Your family history as witches and Pagans goes back to before the Burning Times. Your grandmother raised you as Christian, yet still with general Pagan values. Attempts to suppress your powers were in vain. You are a powerful set, indeed." As she talked, the image changed to fit her words. "But your family told you wrong- they were misinformed. You are in fact, imposters. Another trio, who has escaped us for so long. Yes, blood relatives of Melinda Warren herself. But they hold the key to the ancient powers. The most powerful to be known. Destined for greatness." With those last words the smoke disappeared instantly.

"H-how..." stuttered Piper, trailing off in shock.

The man to the woman's left, similar in appearence, spoke. "You are to commence training immediately. The Warrens have special training to undergo. The Halliwell sisters will be trained in the proper methods of witchcraft and set to work with or as a coven." His low, gravelly voice echoed throughout the room.

"Leo, do something!" Paige muttered, poking him in the side.

The man gazed at her sternly. "When you are quite finished, then." Paige sighed and stuck out her lower lip, but remained silent. "This is to increase efficiency. The Halliwells will follow me, the Warrens," he declared, pointing to the woman, "are to go with her."

"Now then," the woman said, sweeping out of the room, "come along." The Warrens were close behind. Reluctantly, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were led to another chamber.


	4. Escape At Last!

_Title:_ And Then There Were Three  
_Author:_ the weeping willow  
_Chapter:_ 4- "Escape At Last!"  
_Rating:_ PG (possibly to change) for swearing, violence, etc.  
_Spoilers:_ Up until end of season 4  
_Setting:_ Season 5 AU  
_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Charmed or any of its associates, etc.  
_Description:_ Alex, Felicity, Maple, Paige, Phoebe, and Piper suffer through the Elders' "training" while plotting a way to escape their clutches.  
_Distribution:_ Not without asking, please. Get permission first, or put a link back to this page.  
_Contact:_ queenofthebandgeeks@hotmail.com  
_Author's Notes:_ The next chapter. :) Originally the second half of the third chapter, but not anymore. It was too long, anyways. Still too long. School again on Monday, so I'll try to get these out, but probably once a week is a reasonable expectation (sorry!). Blame my teachers. Um, not much else to say, so here you go! Enjoy! :)

* * *

**_And Then There Were Three_**

_Chapter Four: "Escape At Last!"_

  
Maple was hesitant to trust these strange people, whose existence she hadn't even known until five minutes ago. For all she knew, the imposters and the "council" were part of some evil plot. Glancing over at her sisters, she could easily tell Alex was unhappy about being leashed again. Felicity, on the other hand, was showing no emotion on her face at all, an abnormal occurrence. Maple sighed. In France she'd been going to college, a fine arts university tucked away in the hills just 40 minutes on the train from Paris. She had been taking classes of art (she was a painter), and side studies of theater and music, both vocal and instrumental (she played the cello, and had a fine soprano). She'd also had the sweetest boyfriend, Eric, who broke up with her when she took her trip to the U.S., saying she wasn't committed enough- yet another result of Alex's crazy idea. It was so frustrating sometimes!

"Are you quite ready, Miss Warren?" The woman spoke derisively, snapping Maple out of her thoughts.

"Wha- oh, oui. I mean, yes."

The woman stared. "I know French, thank you very much. I can speak every language ever known on this planet, in every of its dimensions. I _know_ the meaning of the word 'oui'."

Maple wrinkled her nose, but remained silent. When the woman saw this, she started her lesson.

"Whether you know it or not, you three have been truly gifted. You," she said, pointing to Maple, "have been given the powers of the mind. Such mental ability is rare indeed, even among witches. You will need to train, develop, and focus your gifts; instead of wasting your capacity with trivial thoughts and little games." Maple blushed, and the woman nodded, satisfied.

Moving on, the woman stepped in front of Felicity, who shrank back. "Be calm. It's all right." Felicity nodded, not really meaning it; as a scared look was still on her face. "My dear, your powers are the most difficult, the hardest to control, to understand, and to train. But, to be able to literally control the world around you, to command the very atoms and cells of our existence; now that is a fearsome ability. Use it wisely."

She left Felicity shaking in fear for Alex, who met her gaze fearlessly. "The youngest. Headstrong, opinionated. You think yourself invincible. You act without thinking; impulsive to the core. And yet, you are currently the strongest of you three. You alone were kept and trained in the ways of the Craft, your mother afraid that you would not be strong if ever the time came, as she hoped it wouldn't. Your mother sent your sisters away in fear for your lives, yet you brought them back after her death. Very willful. Yet it was written in the stars, no matter what your mother wished for. You must remember that your actions are much more powerful than you could ever imagine. Your physical abilities have been strengthened by the deepest magick, which, paired with the premonitions your mother instructed you in, gives you more advantage than you realize."

The woman, having spoken with all three sisters (and leaving them speechless), walked to the very center of the room, in clear view of the Warrens. "Now listen closely."

*~*~*~*~*

Phoebe Halliwell sighed. Their world was coming apart by the seams! Prue was dead. Cole was missing. And now this. Silently she cursed them all. Her life had been made a living hell for nothing, according to the Elders now.

Annoyed, the man turned his gaze on her. "Pay attention. This is important."

Phoebe seethed silently. Who was he to tell her what to do? Cutting into her thoughts, he said, "You work for us. Now _do_ pay attention, Miss Halliwell." Sensing no further argument, he continued talking. "Your goal is to rid the world of evil. Seeing as you've already had a casualty, bringing your numbers down to three, I believe you need help in that department. You will be under my direction and command until I see fit to let you go on your own."

He waved his hand and a demon appeared in midair, leaping in fury towards the sisters. Piper yelped and froze it, and Phoebe levitated up to its height, kicking it across the room. Paige looked around helplessly, and, finally, called out, "Pillar!", sending the marble flying from the wall towards the demon. Piper finished it off by waving her hands, exploding it into dust.

Looking at the watch in his hand, the man shook his head in disappointment. "42.7 seconds. Very sloppy besides. I can see we'll need a _lot_ of work."

*~*~*~*~*

"Miss... Alex, is it?" the woman asked. Alex nodded her confirmation wordlessly. "Yes. Stop hogging the fight! Miss Felicity never got to help. Miss Warren just went in for the kill. Three of you. Three different jobs. Three equal portions. Use your assets, for goodness sake! Miss Alex's physical power, Miss Maple's mental capability. And Miss Felicity's control over your surroundings. That is the essence of the Charmed Ones!"

"Felicity's a lethal weapon by herself," Maple admitted.

"I- I don't like to use the power," whispered Felicity. "No good can come of it."

"Nonsense!" the woman exclaimed, surprised. "_Only_ good! This is your first problem. Fear of your gifts is harmful. Miss Warren, blow up that pillar over there, please."

Felicity, frightened, waved a hand the slightest bit towards the firm column. The entire wall collapsed, and she cried out, covering her eyes.

"Felicity?" Maple ventured. "Sweetie?" Felicity gave no response.

Maple sighed and strode over to her side. "Come on now, it's over. No damage. See?" She peeled away Felicity's hands from her face to show her how the wall had magickally rebuilt itself.

Felicity calmed down, but she was still shaking. "I-I don't think I l-like it here," she breathed, barely loud enough for Maple to hear.

"_Control._ It's all about control!" the woman lectured. "_Focus_ on the pillar. Sense the molecules. Now send them apart! Separate them!"

Felicity shook her head. "I can't."

The woman sighed. She closed her fist, then opened it again. A ladybug, crawling on a healthy green maple leaf, had appeared on her palm. "Freeze the beetle, then."

Felicity made as if to touch it, but stopped. Annoyed, Alex said grumpily, "Honestly, Lis! Just freeze the damn thing already!" Felicity withdrew.

"Alex!" chided Maple. "Leave her alone!"

But the damage had been done. Felicity stared wide-eyed at the ladybug, all the while backing away. When she hit the wall she slid down to a sitting position, clutching her knees to her chest.

The woman asked, frustrated, "How long have you been active?"

"About two years," Maple answered.

Shaking her head, the woman murmured to herself, "This will be tougher than I imagined."

*~*~*~*~*

"What do you expect? It's not our fault you guys haven't been real givey with the powers," muttered Paige.

The man stared at her. "I am simply requesting that you use your telekinesis to send this ball across the room." He held a white energy ball in his palm. "I don't understand how this is difficult." To demonstrate, he waved his hand, causing the ball to drift lazily to the other side of the room. Piper froze the man, walked over and flicked the ball to get it moving and walked back to her original place. "It's very rude to attempt to freeze the teacher," the man glared. "I also don't appreciate cheaters. Individual training must be had, I see."

Before he could do anything worse, Paige grabbed Piper and Phoebe's hands and orbed out.

*~*~*~*~*

Maple and Alex stared in surprise as the three Halliwells orbed in. "We're going," Phoebe told them and roughly grabbed one in each hand. Understanding, Maple touched Felicity's shoulder with her fingertips and the others joined hands. The six witches orbed away from the Elders, free at last.

*~*~*~*~*

Back on good old planet Earth, Phoebe turned to Alex. "Quick. Help us do the spell."

Alex nodded, and after a moment of thinking began to recite,

_"Athena, goddess- we ask of thee  
Look on us now, and hear our plea  
Hide us from those searching above  
Cloud their eyes, with peace and love  
**Leave us be!  
Leave us be!**_

The others joined in the last two times. The last "Leave us be!" they shouted, attracting the stares of a few passerbys on the sidewalk. A large white cloud drifted above them, making them feel safer, for the time being. "I improvised a bit, but it seemed to work," Alex grinned.

In spite of herself, Phoebe smiled back, as did Piper and Paige. Maple giggled. Soon they were all laughing hysterically. Sure they were refugees, on the run from the prying Elders, but somehow it didn't seem quite so bad after all.


	5. Runaways

_Title:_ And Then There Were Three  
_Author:_ the weeping willow  
_Chapter:_ 5- "Runaways"  
_Rating:_ PG (possibly to change) for violence, swearing, etc.  
_Spoilers:_ Up until end of season 4  
_Setting:_ season 5 AU  
_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Charmed or any of its associates, etc.  
_Description:_ The group cares for Felicity and responds to Alex's premonition, saving a live in the process.  
_Distribution:_ Not without asking. Please ask first, or put a link back to this page.  
_Contact:_ queenofthebandgeeks@hotmail.com  
_Author's Notes:_ I love all the feedback I've been getting! :) And none of it has been really negative. I apologize for the delay: I was grounded for a bit, but I'm not anymore.

* * *

**_And Then There Were Three_**

_Chapter Five: "Runaways"_

  
Paige bent down to where Felicity was sitting, in the same position as before. Paige waved her hand across Felicity's eyes, but got no response. "The spell won't hold, will it?" Paige said to Alex, not taking her eyes off Felicity. It was more of a statement than a question, and all of them knew it.

"No," Alex answered. "The Power of Three seals the spell. With all six of us it would have been twice as strong, but it was just weakened."

Paige made a face. "How long will this last?" she inquired, indicating Felicity's trancelike state.

"We aren't really sure. It's only happened once before, and that time she sat there for two days without doing anything. Then we got really scared and put her in the hospital, and she was locked up where we couldn't see her. It took her about a month before she was released. She never tried her powers again," Maple explained in a hushed tone.

"We don't _have_ that kind of time!" exploded Phoebe.

"I know," Alex murmured, staring down at her sister.

Maple dug in her purse. "I'd written something- back then- but I was too afraid to use it." She held out a piece of paper.

Piper took it and read it over. "Get some rosemary," she told Alex.

Uncertain, she nodded. "Where?"

Paige realized that getting out of the park and back to the manor would be a good idea. "Hold hands," she commanded, and almost immediately they were in the Halliwells' front hall. Paige took Alex to the herb garden in the back of the house while Maple helped Phoebe and Piper move Felicity over to the couch in the living room.

Together with Maple's telekinesis and the other two supporting her head just in case, Felicity was safely laid down on the couch. Her eyes stared up at the ceiling, unseeing. Maple shuddered and closed her eyelids so she appeared to be sleeping. Maple gave a silent sob; small, but still noticeable to Piper, who gave her a huge hug. "I'm scared," she whispered. Piper rocked her back and forth gently.

"I know. It'll be all right. Trust us."

The moment was interrupted by Paige's cry from out back: "Oh, my god! Piper, Phoebe! Maple! Hurry!" The three girls ran to her side. They stopped short when they saw Alex sprawled on the ground, her eyes glazed. "She just collapsed," whimpered Paige, pointing.

Sighing, Maple knelt down besides Alex, feeling her pulse. "It's all right. It's a premonition, that's all."

"What?" the Halliwells exclaimed together.

Maple gave them a funny look. "Telekinesis, time control, and premonitions. The three powers of Melinda Warren, passed down through generations. Combined with the blood of other witches, other powers, and that makes the power of the Charmed Ones. I thought you guys knew this!"

Phoebe stammered, "We do- I mean, we knew. But we thought..."

Maple nodded. "Yes, she also has heightened physical abilities: strength, agility. And it is what she uses the most, in battle. Alex hates not being in control, and she never is when this happens. That's why she didn't want you guys to know."

"Didn't want us to know? If this had happened during- during a battle- or- do you realize just how _dangerous_ this _is_?!" Phoebe exclaimed angrily.

"Okay, get this straight: _we_ are the Charmed Ones, not you. This is really none of your business!"

"We saved your asses back up there!" Paige retorted. "You should be grateful!"

Phoebe, Paige, and Maple started to argue, their voices escalating as they shouted at each other madly. 

"Stop it, all of you!" yelled Piper. Stunned, they fell silent and stared at her. "What the hell do you think you three are _doing?_ Yes, it could have been dangerous if we didn't know, but it doesn't matter, because now we do. Phoebe, why are you being so damn antagonistic?"

"She's jealous," Paige murmured. Maple nodded in agreement.

"Hey! I am not!" Phoebe protested in vain.

"Oh, please," Maple scoffed.

Piper put up a hand in warning. "Don't even."

Obediently Maple stopped. "Sorry."

"Now, then-"

Piper's speech was interrupted as Alex's eyes fluttered.

"She's waking up!" Paige said excitedly.

"What is it this time?" Maple asked Alex softly.

Disoriented, Alex slowly sat up. "Am I back?" she breathed. Maple nodded.

"Yes. What did you see?" Maple asked again, more urgently.

"There- there's a girl. Near Noxwell Street. In an alley. Demon." Alex stopped for a moment, clearly still struggling for breath. "F-fire. It can't stand fire. And poison... horns. All over his body. Get- Liss." She tried to stand up, but she collapsed back onto the ground in exhaustion.

"Okay, battle. First, make up; all of you." Piper waited. Grudgingly, they all apologized. Once they were done, she continued. "Good. Hard feelings could get in the way, and that's too dangerous. Can we do this? _Together?_" They nodded. "Right. Alex, I'll cover for Felicity. You recover, then get her and follow us. Maple, Paige, Phoebe- let's go."

She set off, all but Alex following behind.

Alex moaned. "Why do I get left behind... _so_ not fair!" Still, she was grateful for the rest. Her premonitions always took a lot out of her, much to her annoyance. She dug a bottle out of her jeans front pocket and took 2 glucose pills. After a few minutes, she was recovered enough to stand up and grab a can of Mountain Dew, which she chugged while digging out a mortar and pestle out of a chest sitting in the living room, to grind the healing herbs up with. Quickly she prepared them. When it was a fine dust, Alex stopped and sprinkled the dust over Felicity's prone body and chanted softly in Latin with ease. Soon Felicity regained consciousness. "Wha... no..." she muttered, still groggy.

Alex didn't waste any time., yanking her off the couch with her supernatural strength. "Come on- we've got to go!" Alex commanded as she pulled Felicity out the door. She looked down at her watch and cursed. "Damn! We aren't gonna get there in time- PAIGE!" shouted Alex desperately.

Unbelievably, Paige orbed in besides them a second later. "You _heard_?!" Alex asked in disbelief.

"It doesn't matter- come on!"

They reappeared almost instantly next to the other three in a dark alley.

A dark shadow loamed over them as the witches got in place for battle. Felicity sensed something and looked up, and began to scream. 


	6. Return to Hell

_Title:_ And Then There Were Three  
_Author:_ the weeping willow  
_Chapter:_ 6- "Return to Hell"  
_Rating:_ PG (possibly to change) for violence, swearing, etc.  
_Spoilers:_ Up until the end of season four.  
_Setting:_ season 5 AU  
_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Charmed or any of its associates, etc.  
_Description:_ Their battle ends badly, sending the young witches where they never wanted to go again…  
_Distribution:_ Not without asking. Please get permission first, or put a link back to this page.  
_Contact:_ queenofthebandgeeks@hotmail.com  
_Author's Notes:_ Sorry about the delay! I'm hoping to get the last couple of chapters out before school starts again. I'm pretty sure I'll have a sequel, but I just found a really good place to end it. :) I also have to finish writing this huge story for writing workshop. It's about this girl that gets accused of witchcraft, so she has to escape to the New World… um, yeah. *coughs* I'm thinking she might just end up getting burned, though… it'd be more realistic, anyways. *shrugs* And I will be posting it on ff.net once it's done, don't worry. :)

* * *

**_And Then There Were Three_**

_Chapter Six: "Return to Hell"_

  
A demon leaped down from the building above, landing on top of Phoebe, knocking her flat on the ground. She lay stunned, her neck at an odd angle. The demon swung around, and its horned tail collided with Felicity, sending her flying into the wall with a sickening _crack_. Felicity slid down to the ground, slumped against the wall unconscious. Paige immediately counterattacked by tele-orbing a big steel pipe towards the monster. It bounced harmlessly off its chest, having no effect but to anger it more. Paige gasped and backed away. Maple kept a watch for the girl at the edge of the alley while Alex and Piper ran to back Paige up.

Alex ran up and kicked its chest rapidly five times in succession. The demon staggered back, dazed. Paige tried to tele-orb it against the wall, but a blue light glowed and she was thrown back. "Dumb shield," she groaned and pulled herself up from the ground painfully. Maple, who was keeping an eye on the fight, waved her hand casually. There were blue sparks, and the demon flew up and against the wall, falling with a big _thunk_.

"Gone," Maple said simply.

The girls attacked with renewed vigor. Piper froze the demon and Alex attacked it, punching as hard as she possibly could. When it unfroze, Alex stepped back and Paige tele-orbed it against the wall, narrowly missing Felicity's head. The demon, enraged, flung itself at Paige. One of its horns dug into her head, leaving a long gash down her face. Paige tried to get up, but after a moment a dazed look came upon her face and she blacked out.

Piper tried to freeze it again, but there was no response. Alex was fighting a losing battle, becoming quickly overpowered by the demon. "Piper! Switch!" Maple yelled, and she ran forward to help her sister. Piper obediently fell back and continued to watch for the girl.

Maple fared slightly better than Piper, and managed to throw him against the wall. But no matter how hard they tried, the demon still didn't weaken. Piper ran forth again to help fight.

Felicity began to awake slowly, fighting the demon's poison coursing through her bloodstream. Maple noticed, and turned and yelled, "Fire!" That one word caused her to be struck hard in the face. The momentum of the demon's punch sent her flying. Her landing knocked her out like the others. Only Piper and Alex remained standing, their faces covered in sweat and blood.

Felicity thought quickly. Fire… fire… what about fire? The only thing that came to her mind was her old science teacher, talking about matter. Fire was a chemical change, compared to a physical change like breaking a stick in half. Chemical- that was it! She stared at the demon, her eyes unblinking and watering. Concentrating hard, she envisioned the cells burning, destroying themselves, consumed with fire… Smoke began to rise from the demon's head, and it stopped, confused. Then it burst entirely into flames. The demon screeched, then exploded into a cloud of dust.

Only then did Felicity become completely aware of the sharp pain coursing throughout her body. She crawled over to Paige and tried unsuccessfully to wake her up. Alex and Piper walked over, and Felicity could see how badly hurt they truly were. "Poison," Alex whispered in a small voice. She held a hand over a cut on her upper arm. "It's poison." Felicity nodded, unable to do much more.

"Nobody else will wake up," Piper added. "We need Leo—"

"_No!_" Alex hissed, enraged. "They'll drag us back there and I— I— I won't go!"

"Then what the hell else are we supposed to do?!" Piper retorted, her voice filled with anger and fear.

"I…" whispered Felicity softly. "Let me—"

Alex stared at her. "Are you insane? You're barely conscious." Still, Felicity put her hand on Paige's chest and silently commanded the cells to repair themselves. "Lissie, _no!_" cried Alex fearfully.

She lunged forward, but Piper blocked her path. "Let her!"

Alex broke free almost immediately; her strength was no match for Piper. Still, the damage was done. Paige awoke just as Felicity collapsed into Alex's arms.

"Paige, can you heal the others?" inquired Piper.

"Wha— I think so, but…" She didn't need to finish the sentence. She'd never healed someone before without Leo.

Alex glared at them with hatred in her eyes. "Look at what you've done— this is bullshit! She's _dying!_"

Paige sighed and held her hand over Felicity and concentrated. A blue light glowed softly, and Felicity's wounds slowly disappeared. But before the damage was entirely reversed, Paige suddenly stopped. "What are you doing?!" snapped Alex.

"It won't work," she replied weakly.

"Go do the others," Piper told her.

"Liss, wake _up._ Come on…" pleaded Alex.

Suddenly, Leo orbed in, a disappointed look on his face. "Leo, come help—" Piper started excitedly, but she stopped at the look on his face. "What is it?"

Leo didn't have to answer. They knew when more orbed down and surrounded all six of them. "Leo…" whispered Piper plaintively. He looked down at his feet. Moments later, they found themselves in front of the Elder's Council once more.


	7. The Trial

_Title:_ And Then There Were Three  
_Author:_ the weeping willow  
_Chapter:_ 7- "The Trial"  
_Rating:_ PG (possibly to change) for violence, swearing, etc.  
_Spoilers:_ Up until the end of season four  
_Setting:_ season 5 AU  
_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Charmed or any of its associates, etc.  
_Description:_ The witches finally face their actions and go against the Elders once more.  
_Distribution:_ Not without asking. Get permission first, or put a link back to this page.  
_Contact:_ queenofthebandgeeks@hotmail.com  
_Author's Notes:_ The last chapter! *cheers* I still have to decide whether or not to add this last bit in at the end. I'm still planning to write another story featuring Alex, Felicity, and Maple, and I'm going to use that certain bit as a beginning. Hmmm... maybe I'll add it in as sort of an epilogue. I'll decide once I'm done typing this, anyhow. LOL! Well, enjoy, and thanks for sticking with me this whole time! :)

* * *

**_And Then There Were Three_**

_Chapter Seven: "The Trial"_

  
Alex cursed to herself. "Welcome back," the eerie male Elder from before sneered. He smiled, but there was no depth, nothing underneath.

Without warning the six witches were tied at the wrists by ropes of energy. A protective bubble closed around them, trapping them entirely. "Leo! Let us go!" called Piper in frustration. Leo backed away, distressed.

As if nothing had happened, the Elder continued his speech. "You are to be tried for betrayal and endangerment of the Council. The trial shall begin exactly 48 hours from now."

Alex ran forward, ready to attack. But when she hit the wall of the energy field it shocked her, knocking her back on the ground painfully. "Dammit!" she muttered as she stood up, rubbing her back. She turned fiercely to Piper. "This is all your fault! You did this! I _hate_ you! I HATE YOU!" Alex shrieked, then kneeled down, sobbing.

Paige pleaded timidly, "Please, our sisters are dying."

The Elder rubbed his forehead and sighed. "They are healed," he muttered reluctantly.

True to his word, the unconscious witches began to wake. It took several moments for them to figure out what had happened. Once Phoebe realized, she tried to stand up. "Leo..." she pleaded. When he didn't react, Phoebe became angry. "Ass!" she muttered to herself.

Maple observed the scene with a darkening look on her face, furious at the betrayal. Felicity scooted over to Alex to comfort her, a sad, beaten look upon her face.

*~*~*~*~*

They stayed motionless for hours, until merciful sleep finally overtook them. Time passed slowly; each minute that crawled by seemed to be a lifetime. They were locked up for days. Their captors provided no food or drink, and by the time they were summoned the witches were far too weak to inflict any sort of damage. Still, eight whitelighters came to fetch them, showing the Elders still feared the Charmed Ones and the Halliwells.

The room the trial was to be held in was practically bare. Only marble benches filled its interior, occupied by the members of the Council. Leo was nowhere to be seen, as he had left long before back to Earth.

Maple, Piper, Felicity, Phoebe, Alex, and Paige were forced to the front of the room, where they stood before the Elders. The man from before stood and spoke again.

"You have been accused of betrayal and endangerment of the Council. Endangerment is punishable by death; betrayal by eternal damnation. What do you plead?"

Alex snorted derisively. "We have done nothing!" she shouted.

"So you plead innocent, then?" He waved his hand, and a translucent model of the room they were "trained" in appeared. Images began to play, showing how they escaped. After the miniature witches had orbed out, he waved his hand again and it disappeared. "We have just witnessed once more what you have done. Have you anything to say for yourselves, witches?"

Not one of them spoke, although Alex stuck her tongue out as the Elder turned to face the Council. "I ask of you to pass judgment. If you think them innocent, remain as you are. If you believe they require punishment for their deeds, stand."

Slowly, one by one the Council members stood up. Soon only five were left sitting as they were before. Fury showed in the male's face, for if three or more did not agree, the verdict was naught, and a lesser punishment must be given. "You are sentenced to stay here for a term of at least 20 years!" he snapped.

One of the ones still sitting, a woman of about 30 years, protested. "If they are stuck up here, then who knows what shall happen? It's too dangerous. All forces are needed to protect the mortals from the evil that lurks below. A simple mistake is not worth the entire destruction of the human race!"

The others, including those standing, started murmuring and nodding in agreement. They all sat down, changing their vote.

"Silence!" commanded the Elder through clenched teeth. He turned fiercely on the girls. "They don't want to destroy you- so I will!" On his last words, his voice growled several octaves lower than normal; sounding truly demonic. Then he morphed into a sickening slimy demon- it was seven feet tall, with huge dripping fangs and purple skin secreting poisonous yellow ooze. As it lunged at the girls, it let out an inhuman shriek of fury.

They ducked, falling on the ground, and were barely able to avoid the demon's slimy claws. Paige yelled out "Bench!", gesturing to the back. Maple understood and together they each lifted one of the empty benches and threw it at the demon telekinetically. They hit its head with a sickening _thunk_.

The demon seemed only slightly fazed, however. Alex cursed under her breath and called out, "Untie us already!" Although slightly shaken, the woman that had spoken in their defense waved her hand, setting them free.

Alex and Phoebe sprang up from the ground and threw themselves at the demon. Together they managed to break the demon's neck. Then Felicity evaporated the ooze from their hands gently, and Piper finished it off by exploding it into dust, leaving no sign that it'd ever been there, except for the broken benches on the ground.

Applause broke out, slowly at first but gaining strength and momentum. The panting witches turned to look at them in disbelief. The Elders stood up, and a thundering standing ovation was given. "You've proven your worth," the kind woman told them as the clapping died down. "You are free to go."

The Warrens and the Halliwells stared at each other, grins slowly spreading out on their faces. They formed a circle, holding hands, and Paige orbed them back to the manor.

*~*~*~*~*

"Par-_ty!_" Alex cried, and held up her glass of champagne. Piper carried trays of food into the living room, and the Charmed Ones and the Halliwells, newly best friends, celebrated.


	8. Epilogue: The Story Goes On

_Title:_ And Then There Were Three  
_Author:_ the weeping willow  
_Chapter:_ Epilogue  
_Rating:_ PG (possibly to change) for violence, swearing, etc.  
_Spoilers:_ Up until the end of season four.  
_Setting:_ season 5 AU  
_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Charmed or any of its associates, etc.  
_Description:_ You _thought_ the story was over... ;)  
_Distribution:_ Not without asking. Get permission first, or put a link back to this page.  
_Contact:_ queenofthebandgeeks@hotmail.com  
_Author's Notes:_ The last part ever! *sniffs sadly* I'll miss this! Like I stated earlier, I'm writing a sequel about Felicity, Alex, and Maple (with almost nothing/none of Piper, Paige, and Phoebe). So this is to tie the two stories together. Thanks for sticking with me this far! :)

* * *

**_And Then There Were Three_**

_Epilogue_

  
Below the earth, in a dark cavern dripping with bloodied water, the Source watched the witches celebrate. He watched, he waited, and he laughed at the Charmed Ones. He laughed at their innocence, their weakness, and he laughed at the happy knowledge that their blood was going to spill.


End file.
